Hydrangea plant named ‘RENBA’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Hydrangea paniculata  named, ‘RENBA’, that is characterized by its upright, well-branched plant habit, its strong, erect branches, its long bloom period, its blooms with panicles of flowers that emerge white in color changing to pink and maturing to a deep pink to red color, and its large and full panicles.

Botanical classification: Hydrangea paniculata.

Varietal denomination: ‘RENBA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea paniculata and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘RENBA’. ‘RENBA’ represents a new deciduous shrub grown for landscape use.

The new Hydrangea resulted from a controlled breeding program that commenced in 1987 in Gorron, France. ‘RENBA’ was derived from crosses made in 2007 between unnamed proprietary Hydrangea paniculata plants (not patented) from the Inventor's breeding program and the seeds from the crosses where pooled therefore the exact parentage is unknown. ‘RENBA’ was selected as a single unique plant in 2009 from amongst the resulting seedlings.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood cuttings in 2009 by the Inventor in Gorron, France. Asexual propagation by softwood cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish in ‘RENBA’ as a unique cultivar of Hydrangea.

-   -   1. ‘RENBA’ exhibits an upright, well-branched plant habit.     -   2. ‘RENBA’ exhibits strong, erect branches.     -   3. ‘RENBA’ exhibits a long bloom period, flowering from July to         October in France.     -   4. ‘RENBA’ exhibits blooms with panicles of flowers that emerge         white in color changing to pink and maturing to a deep pink to         red color.     -   5. ‘RENBA’ exhibits large and full panicles.

‘RENBA’ can be most closely compared to the Hydrangea paniculata cultivars ‘RENHY’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,670) and RENSUN (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,438). Both cultivars are similar to ‘RENBA’ in having panicles with flowers that are primarily pink in color during the middle of the bloom season. ‘REHNY’ differs from ‘RENBA’ in having branches that are thinner in diameter, in having a more open plant habit, and in having panicles with flowers that remain pink to soft pink in color for the entire bloom season. ‘RENSUN’ differs from ‘RENBA’ in having a shorter plant height, in having panicles that are smaller in size, and in having denser branching.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Hydrangea. The photographs were taken of a 4 year-old plants as grown outdoors in the ground and moved in 25-Liter containers in Gorron, France.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a view of the plant habit of ‘RENBA’ in bloom in September.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of inflorescences of ‘RENBA’ at the beginning of the bloom season.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a view of the newly opened inflorescences of ‘RENBA’.

The photograph in FIG. 4 provides a view of the change in inflorescences of ‘RENBA’ as they are maturing.

The photograph in FIG. 5 provides a view of the change in inflorescences of ‘RENBA’ when they are mature.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized and the color values cited in the Detailed Botanical Description accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observed on 2.5 year-old plants as grown in the greenhouse and outdoors in a 5-gallon container in St. Paul, Minn. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—From July to October in France.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous shrub.         -   Plant habit.—Upright with strong erect stems, well branched.         -   Height and spread.—An average of 2 m in height and 1.5 m             width.         -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 4.         -   Diseases and pests.—No particular susceptibility and             resistance to diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, 164D in color.         -   Propagation.—Softwood stem cuttings.         -   Root initiation.—About 2 weeks in summer under greenhouse             conditions without supplemental lighting and about 3 weeks             in winter with bottom heat in France.         -   Time required to produce a salable crop.—A plug of a rooted             cutting finishes in a P9 container grown outdoors in about 5             to 6 months.         -   Growth rate.—Vigorous. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Round, solid.         -   Stem color.—New wood 178B, mature wood a blend of 200A,             200B, and 152A with flaky bark a blend of 200B and N200B,             old wood (dormant); a blend of N199C, 201A, and 201B.         -   Stem diameter.—New branches, average of 5 mm on average, old             wood; average of 1.3 cm in recorded 5 cm from base of plant.         -   Stem surface.—Pubescent when young becoming flaky on mature             first years wood, and moderately roughed barked on old wood.         -   Internode length.—Average of 4 cm.         -   Branching.—7 mature branches per crown on a 2-year old             plant, average of 4 lateral branches per mature branch,             subsequent branching is determined by pinching. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Rounded.         -   Leaf apex.—Primarily acuminate.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, slightly recessed on upper surface,             color N144A on upper and suffused on midrib towards base             178B, N148C on lower surface with mid rib lightly suffused             towards base with 178B.         -   Leaf margins.—Serrated.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf surface.—Very sparse hairs on upper and glabrous on             lower surface.         -   Leaf color.—Newly formed and mature leaves upper surface; a             color between 147A and 146A, newly formed leaves and mature             leaves lower surface; 148B.         -   Petioles.—Average of 2 cm in length and 2 mm in width,             slightly sulcate in shape, stipules absent, 178B in color. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Broadly pyramidal panicles of sterile             and fertile florets.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Persistent but color is             retained for 6 to 8 weeks before browning.         -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 16 cm in length and 12 cm in             width.         -   Inflorescence number.—One per stem, new shoots develop             throughout the summer.         -   Flower number.—An average of 250 sterile flowers and 200             fertile flowers per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly when newly opened.         -   Flower size.—Sterile flowers; average of 3 cm in diameter             and 8 mm in depth, fertile flowers; average of 6 mm in             diameter and 5 mm in depth.         -   Flower buds.—Sterile flowers: globose in shape, average of 4             mm in length and 3.5 mm in width, N155B in color with very             apex flushed with 62A, fertile flowers; globose in shape, up             to 3 mm in length and 2.5 mm in width, NN155B in color,             glabrous surface for both.         -   Peduncles.—Average of 1.7 cm in length and 2 mm in width,             145B in color, pubescent surface, held at an average angle             of 45°, strong.         -   Pedicels.—Sterile flowers; moderate strength, an average of             1.5 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width, 145B in color, surface             is pubescent, held at variable angles to peduncle, average             of 2 petiole leaves; narrowly oblanceolate in shape, about 3             mm in length and 1 mm in width, glabrous on both surfaces,             truncate base, acuminate apex, 145B in color, fertile             flowers; and average of 3 mm in length and 1 mm in width,             strong, pubescent surface, pedicel leaves (1 to 2) minute if             present and match all other characteristics of sterile             flower pedicels.         -   Fertile flowers.—Rotate in shape, lasting about 7 days on             the plant, only pistils, ovary and sepals persistent,             petals; 5, narrowly elliptic in shape, N155B on both             surfaces, about glabrous on both surfaces, acute apex,             truncate base, average of 4 mm in length and 1.5 mm in             width, sepals; 5 fused in campanulate calyx, average of 1.5             mm in length and 2 mm in width, fared free triangular-shaped             tips about 0.4 mm in width and length, 157A in color and             glabrous on both surfaces.         -   Sepals (sterile flowers).—4 (rarely 5), un-fused, very             slightly to non overlapping, rotate in arrangement, smooth,             dull and glabrous on both surfaces, broadly elliptic to             broadly ovate in shape, held slightly upwards when fully             open, primarily entire margin with occasional undulations or             serrations, apex is rounded to broadly acute, average of 1.5             cm in length and 1.4 cm in width, color of upper and lower             surfaces: when newly open N144A and changing to 155B and             becoming flushed with 62B, color of upper and lower surfaces             when maturing; a blend of 157A and 145A and flushed with 62A             (more prominently on upper surface), color when mature upper             surface; 59A to 59D, color when mature lower surface; 59A             and 59B, fall color both surfaces; a blend of 145C, N199B             and 199C.         -   Eye of sterile flowers (petal spot).—1.5 mm in diameter, 1             mm in depth, 155B and suffused with 62A in color, quickly             drop as flowers mature. -   Reproductive organs (present on fertile flowers):     -   -   Stamens.—Average of 10, anther is 1 mm in length and 198D in             color, filament is an average of 3 mm in length and N155B in             color, pollen is low in quantity and N155B in color.         -   Pistils.—Average of 3, average of 4 mm in length and 145D in             color, style is an average of 2 mm in length and 145B in             color, stigma is club shaped and N155B in color (newly             opened blooms), ovary is an average of 1.5 mm in diameter             and 145B in color.         -   Fruit and seed.—None observed to date. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant named ‘RENBA’ as herein illustrated and described. 